The Bank of Scotland Foundation's grant awards reflect the fact charities struggle with operational costs
A grants programme has awarded 44 charities nearly £900,000 during the first half of 2018.
Now in its fourth year, the Bank of Scotland Foundation’s Small Medium and Large grants’ programme provides successful charities with steady, reliable, funding of between £50,000 and £100,000 for larger projects.
Many of the awards this year have been for the funding of staff costs. Bank of Scotland Foundation is one of the few grant makers that will provide funding for core costs such as salaries, rent or running costs, enabling charities to provide specific programmes or projects within their communities that they may otherwise struggle to operate.
Successful applications include £100,000 for a digital inclusion project run by Thenue Housing Association in Glasgow; staff and running costs of £90,0000 to support six cafes run by Healthy Valleys in Lanark which deliver food and hygiene courses to vulnerable people; and £83,000 for salary and running costs to enable Lodging House Mission in Glasgow to continue providing food and shelter for homeless people seven days a week.
Philip Grant, chair of the foundation’s board of trustees and chair of the Scottish Executive Committee of Lloyds Banking Group said: “Demand from charities for funding will undoubtedly continue to rise under the current climate, so we are delighted that our Small, Medium and Large Grants Programmes will help support these 44 Scottish charities and the communities they serve.
“We are also excited to be supporting Scottish charities even further this year, with the launch of our new Mental Health Fund, where £320,000 of funding is available to mental health charities and other charities that deliver projects focussing on mental health. We are pleased that our funding programmes help people across Scotland to benefit from a variety of much needed local services and personal support.”
Charities who wish to apply for the foundation’s new stand-alone Mental Health Fund, or the third tranche of the 2018 Small and Medium Grants, have until 12 noon on 6 July 2018 to send in their applications.
Since 2010, the Bank of Scotland Foundation has provided over £13m to charities across Scotland.
